See the glass as half full

See the glass half full, it may prolong your life as much as 12 years. A study which began in the 1960s and done over 30 years and published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings has concluded that optimists are far more likely to live longer than pessimists. Dr. Toshihiko Maruta, the chief researcher of this study stated, "The important thing is that we've proven the relationship scientifically, and made a correlation between how people see the world when they're young and how they turn out 30 years later."

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Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog

“Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog.” These were the words of advice Li Ching-Yun who was reported in Time Magazine back in 1933 to have buried 23 wives and fostered 180 descendants by the time he died at the age of 256.

Born in the province of Szechwan in China, where he also died in 1933 his diet mostly consisted plenty of herbs and rice wine.By his own admission he was born in 1736 and had lived 197 years. However, in 1930 a professor and dean at Minkuo University by the name of Wu Chung-chien, found records “proving” that Li was born in 1677. Records allegedly showed that the Imperial Chinese Government congratulated him on his 150th and 200th Birthdays.

If this true than, Li Ching-Yun's advice on longevity should be given serious consideration.

Plants' Flavonoids Have Beneficial Effect On Alzheimer's Disease

A study by University of South Florida and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found that a set of molecules found in certain plants appears to have a beneficial effect in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers administered molecules called flavonoids, which are found
in certain fruits and vegetables, to a mouse model genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer's disease. Using two of these molecules, luteolin and diosmin, they were able to reduce the levels of a protein called amyloid-beta, which forms the sticky deposits that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's.

"These flavonoids are widely available in natural foods and it appears that they may be used in purified form as therapeutic agents. The compounds have few if any side effects and are naturally occurring in citrus fruits. They also can be found as dietary supplements in health food stores," says Terrence Town, Ph.D., one of the lead authors.

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2008, May 8). Plants' Flavonoids Have Beneficial Effect On Alzheimer's Disease, Study In Mice Suggests.

Exercise Can Benefit The Elderly

A study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reports that the elderly people aged between 70 and 89 show improvement in the physical functions after undergoing physical activity programs. The study was led by physiologist Roger Fielding with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University, Boston, Mass. He is director of the center's Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Laboratory.

The study which was funded by Agricultural Research Service(ARS), the chief scientific Research of the U.S Department of Agriculture(USDA) found that volunteers - all of them with sedentary lifestyle and a variety of physical health improvement - were able engage in regular moderate exercise for one year. Those who improved the most exercised fat least 150 minutes a week.

ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/03/080321123721.htm